A Child’s Play for Adults Too Undergoes ‘Musical Therapy’

It’s not a fairy tale or funny stuff. “I Can’t Talk About It,” a children’s play for adults too, at the Adam Hill Theatre in West Hollywood, is about sexual child abuse.

Based on the book by Doris Sanford and Graci Evans, the play revolves around a young incest victim who finds the courage to tell what’s happening to her and let go of her feelings of shame and guilt.

The setting is simple--a child’s bedroom, an imaginary beach. The spirit of Love (Stephen Breithaupt), in the form of a dove, helps a little girl (Megan McGinnis) unlock her secret and understand that “it’s not your fault when other people make wrong choices.”

The show is less theater, however, than a message forum. Playwright and director Breithaupt, who worked with disturbed children while training as a psychiatric technician before pursuing acting, calls it a “musical therapy.” He originally conceived the work to be used only in a clinical setting.

“The National Council of Sexual Addiction in Hermosa Beach asked us to perform it for the general public (earlier this year),” Breithaupt said, “and public response was overwhelming, so we decided to run it.” Breithaupt acknowledged that the message in the work is delivered at the expense of theatricality. “The strength of the work is its directness; as a play, its weakness might be that directness.

“The intent is to instruct. It’s the music that takes us into the realm of theater.”

Indeed, the four gentle songs are memorable. “Love Listens,” “Innocent Child,” “Tell Someone” and “Learn to Trust Again,” were composed by Steve Siler, whose work is frequently heard on television and has been sung by Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick and others.

Plays on the subject of abuse have become common in the last few years. Targeting children is unusual. Post-play discussion time and a help resource list are available to the audience.